


The Doctor Who Cares

by GreenGablesGal



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Anne’s making a stew, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Mary has just passed away, Poor Gilbert needs comfort, Set after 3x03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:48:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29171391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenGablesGal/pseuds/GreenGablesGal
Summary: Set after 3x03. Mary has just passed away and Anne is at the Blythe house making a stew. Before long, she sees how much guilt Gilbert has been keeping inside of him since Mary’s death.
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe & Anne Shirley, Gilbert Blythe & Sebastian "Bash" Lacroix, Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Comments: 9
Kudos: 87





	The Doctor Who Cares

**Author's Note:**

> I originally posted this story on fanfiction.net as Green Gables Girl06. I hope you enjoy! I am a beginner at writing fanfiction.

Anne stood at the stove in the Blythe kitchen stirring a pot of boiling stew. Marilla had just taken her leave about thirty minutes ago and had told Anne that she should remain there to make a small supper for Bash and Gilbert. Since Mary’s passing last month, things had been very hard on them. Even with Mrs. Lynde and Marilla helping out with Delphine and the housework, she knew how overwhelming things must still be to them. Poor Bash had hardly been himself anymore. 

Anne pushed stray locks of red hair that had come loose from her braids away from her face, and let out a huff. The stove was hot, and she could feel her face flushing from the heat. She reached for the curry that came from Bash’s marvelous collection of spices and sprinkled some into the stew. 

She turned to look down the hallway as she heard soft thumping sounds growing louder as someone descended the staircase. Gilbert appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, his hair rumpled in his usual mess of curls and jumped in surprise when he saw Anne standing at the stove. “Anne. What are you still doing here?” He asked, furrowing his eyebrows. Anne smiled gently. “Marilla said I could stay behind to make a stew. She didn’t need my help with supper this evening, and she thought I would be more useful here.” She explained. 

Gilbert came up behind her and peeked his head over her shoulder. “Hmm, smells amazing.” He said. “Well, I just hope it tastes as amazing as you say it smells!” Anne laughed. Her face turned serious. “I know things have been hard lately. And I want you to know that if you need anything, anything at all, we’re here to help you.” Gilbert nodded, touched by her kind words. Anne’s eyes suddenly widened and an expression of horror swept across her face. “By you, of course I meant all of you— you all, everyone— Bash and Dellie too-“ She stopped talking and bit her lip, looking frustrated with herself. Quickly she whipped back around to resume stirring the stew. 

“Thank you. I can’t tell you how much your help is appreciated.” Gilbert said with a small smile. “I was just planning on making oatmeal for our supper, but I dare say you’ve spared everyone’s tastebuds this evening.” With a small laugh, Gilbert walked over to the bench against the wall. He sat with a heavy sigh. Anne giggled at the insult that he had just giving his own cooking, but remained silent as she stood at the stove. 

Gilbert watched from across the kitchen as Anne stirred the pot, adding various spices to it. He couldn’t help but imagine her doing the same thing, only it would be their own house, with little red haired children running about and playing. Perhaps a cat and dog too. Maybe a baby in his arms, and a smiling Anne listening to something clever he had just read. And maybe—

Bash’s voice brought him back into reality. “Something sure smell’ good in here!” He exclaimed, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. Anne turned to look at Bash and grinned. “Why, thank you! Gilbert here, has just explained to me that I have spared you all the agony of his own cooking.” Anne sent Gilbert a teasing look, her eyes laughing. 

“Hey! I never said it was agonizing!” Gilbert exclaimed, sitting up straighter. Bash raised an eyebrow and gave him a look. “That gloppy, flavorless, drippy mess that you like to call oatmeal? What would you care to describe it as?” Gilbert opened his mouth to respond, but then closed it again. “Excruciating.” He finally said with a defeated sigh, slumping back in his seat. “Hmm!” Bash said triumphantly. Laughing, Anne shook her head. 

“Well, I’ve just come for another nappy for Dellie.” Bash walked over to the cupboard next to the backdoor and took out a basket containing clean nappies. Taking one, and putting the basket back, he turned to Anne. “Thank you so much, Anne. I am very much looking forward to that stew of yours.” With that, he left the kitchen. 

Smiling after Bash, Anne began chopping some carrots and potatoes to add to the stew. “So,” she said glancing across the room at Gilbert. “How is your medical mentorship going? I know you took a break from it before Mary passed away, but are you back at it now?” 

“I’m actually thinking about not going back.” Gilbert replied, avoiding her gaze, his mood suddenly changing. Anne stopped chopping. “What? Why?” She knew how excited he had been since he stared working for Dr. Ward. She knew that it absolutely thrilled him. So why, would he want to give it all up now? 

“I... I don’t think I can be a doctor after all.” “Gilbert... but being a doctor is your dream! Your destiny! What on earth made you want to change your mind?” She asked him, bewildered. Gilbert simply shrugged, and looked down, still avoiding her gaze. Anne picked up the knife again and started chopping again. Suddenly her hand slipped, and she yelped as the blade cut her finger. 

Gilbert was up in an instant. “Anne! Are you alright?!” He rushed over to her side to look at her hand. Anne looked around frantically for a rag or spare piece of cloth. Finding one, she grabbed it and held it to her throbbing finger. “I’m okay.” She breathed. “I think it startled me more than anything.” She took the rag away and studied her poor finger. “It’s a small cut really. Nothing to fret over.” 

Gilbert clenched his jaw, taking Anne’s hand in his to look at the cut. “That’s what we thought about Mary,” he took a shaky breath. “I’m the one who cleaned her wound and declared her to be fine! And look at what happened...” His voice was full of fear. “Gilbert,” Anne said, trying to calm him. Gilbert kept talking. “If... if I lost you too, I’d... the reason Mary is gone, is because of me! It was my fault for not taking good enough care of her. I could have tried harder to prevent infection, but I failed. If something happens to you on account of me—“ “Gilbert,” Anne tried again. Gilbert looked as if he were a second away from bursting into tears. “My fault. It would be—“ “Gilbert!” Anne nearly shouted. 

He flinched at the sharpness of her voice. “Gilbert, it’s not even bleeding anymore.” She showed him her finger. He stared at it. “Anne, I’m sorry—“ Anne stared at him, her heart breaking for the pain that he must feel. “Have you truly been carrying all of this guilt, this whole time? Because you listen to me, Gilbert Blythe, it was not your fault.” Now it was Anne’s turn to take Gilbert’s hand in her own uninjured one. “You cannot blame yourself for what happened to Mary. You did everything in your power to help her, to save her.” She paused and looked into his hazel eyes. “That’s why you don’t want to continue your medical mentorship, isn’t it?” 

Gilbert looked at her with the most heartbroken eyes she had ever seen. “I couldn’t save her. So how, on earth can I expect to be a doctor if I couldn’t even save my own sister-in-law? I... I cleaned her wound, I dressed it, I assured her that she would be fine.” Finally his voice broke. Tears streamed down his face. “Ohh, Gilbert.” Anne pulled him into a hug, like the one they had shared a month ago when they had found out about Mary’s illness. Now, Anne cradled Gilbert even tighter than she had then. His shoulders shaking with silent sobs, Gilbert hugged her back and sniffled. 

They stood like that for a long moment, until Anne stepped back and looked at his tear streaked face. “Gilbert, you did all that you could. You did better than anybody else could have. Do you know why? Because you loved her, Gilbert. You cared deeply about her. You cared for her more than any other doctor on this earth could possibly have. I’m sure that there are many, many other doctors out there, who hardly care a wit about their patients. You won’t be one of those doctors though, Gilbert. I stand by what I told you that day last month. You will, be a wonderful doctor. And caring deeply will always be the right thing.” She finished in a whisper. 

Gilbert allowed her words to sink in. He nodded, comforted. “Thank you, Anne.” He whispered, not being able to manage saying anything else. Anne smiled softly, and nodded. She turned to look behind her at the sound of heavy boiling. “Oh no! The stew!” She raced over to grab some oven mitts and quickly removed the pot from the stove. 

After the boiling slowed, Anne placed the pot back onto the stove and began to add in the chopped carrots and potatoes. Leaving the stew to simmer, she walked back over to where Gilbert stood, and led him back over to the bench where they both sat.

“You alright now?” She asked him gently. “Yes. I’m sorry that I overreacted like that, and started going on and on about—“ “Gilbert. It’s alright.” She assured him and rested her head on his shoulder. “You’re sure your finger is alright?” Asked Gilbert, taking her hand in his. “Mmhmm.” She murmured. He brought her hand to his lips and gave it a soft kiss. Anne’s stomach filled with butterflies and she smiled in disbelief. Gilbert traced his fingers over her hand and he sighed contently. It was in that moment that Anne was reminded of something that she had asked a few years ago. If I wanted to kiss a boy, couldn’t I just... kiss him? 

She pulled away from Gilbert’s shoulder and took his face in her hands, gazing into his hazel eyes. Closing her eyes as she dew closer, their breaths mingled for a second. Anne placed a gentle kiss on his lips, which he gladly returned. Smiling into the kiss, Anne’s hands left his face and she wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his soft curls. Gilbert’s hands rested at her waist, as they gently exchanged kisses. Pulling apart, they let their foreheads rest together. 

A moment later, Bash came back into the kitchen. “Now,” he says rubbing his hands together. “Where’s that stew?” He stopped at the sight of the two sitting together, both their foreheads resting on the others, their eyes shut and a smile tugging at both of their lips. Bash’s eyes widened, and a grin spread across his face. “I mean, Dellie will be needing her nap soon. I best put her down.” Quickly exciting the kitchen, Bash stopped in the hallway and pumped his fists in the air. “I knew it!” He whispered. “‘Just a friend’. Ha!”

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo how was it? Please comment what you think, and sorry if it was cheesy or rushed! But I really had fun writing this one. Thanks so much for reading!


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